Although Mark Obenshain has requested a likely futile recount, some sane Republicans (admittedly, an endangered species) have mounted an effort to make sure pro-business, non-social issues extremist are nominated in 2014 and going forward in Virginia. Yo make this happen, of course, the first step will be kill party conventions being used as the nominating vehicle. Whenever the convention model is used, the nominees end up being far right and non-electable. Needless to say, the Christofascist/Tea Party forces will NOT be happy. The Roanoke Times looks at this much needed development towards moderation. Here are excerpts:
Former Virginia congressman Tom Davis told Bloomberg reporters last week he’s working with other mainstream Republicans to establish an organization that would support statewide candidates less wrapped up in divisive social issues and more interested in making the commonwealth a better place to live.
Oh, yeah, they’d also like to win a few elections here and there.
Bloomberg called it an “intra-party revolt.” That’s a bit of hyperbole, but certainly it’s a more useful reaction than the usual whimper uttered by traditional Republicans while in a fetal position after their party’s latest election loss.
Davis’ goal is to have his group up and running by early next year in order to raise money from business-oriented Republicans who have increasingly disengaged from politics, turned off by rash and feckless ideologues.
Wyatt Durrette, the GOP candidate for governor in 1985, has joined Davis in the initiative. The two men may not be household names throughout Virginia, and are rarely acknowledged by their own party, except to rebuke them, but they represent a breed of pragmatic leaders the GOP needs to re-engage.
Davis is a fan of primaries and plans to use the fledgling organization to nudge Republicans in that direction.
It’s also true that even if the GOP had held a primary this year, there’s a decent chance that Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli would have won the nomination, just as he did with this year’s convention.
But Davis wisely is not fixating on the past. He understands that primaries broaden a party’s base, attracting independents and young voters. They shouldn’t be viewed as a threat to ideological purity, but as a necessity for political survival.
While Davis’ group is focused on statewide offices, more viable nominees at that level can help with recruitment of stronger legislative candidates down-ticket.
Any one of a half dozen factors might have changed this year’s election outcome and put a Republican in the governor’s mansion. The GOP must focus on the ones over which it has control.
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